Letter to the Editor: Immigration has been a proud legacy of the U.S.

The U.S. Senate deserves praise for passing immigration reform. Sadly, Republican House leaders and a large number of Republican House members are now standing in the way of completing this important legislation.

It is time to stop demonizing illegal immigrants. Those who oppose reform characterize illegal immigration as a major crime. But in reality, it is about on par with trespassing.

There certainly are more serious crimes associated with illegal immigration, such as identity theft, driving without a license and tax evasion. But these crimes will be largely eliminated by the Senate legislation.

Even more important, the exploitation of immigrants will largely be remedied by granting them legal status. Furthermore, providing legal status to those here illegally will likely have the added benefit of accelerating their integration into the rest of society. This will mean the more rapid learning of English, increased educational opportunities and the ability to start businesses and purchase homes.

We should not forget that embracing immigrants is one of this nation's proudest legacies and that embracing this legacy has always served this nation well.

- Mike Lipsman, West Des Moines

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Letter to the Editor: Immigration has been a proud legacy of the U.S.

The U.S. Senate deserves praise for passing immigration reform. Sadly, Republican House leaders and a large number of Republican House members are now standing in the way of completing this important